NOR-FISHING '86 Trondheim, Norway, August 11-16

Nor-Fishing '86, the 11th International Fishery Fair to be held in Trondheim, Norway, August 11-16, has been fully booked, with the Nidaro Exhibition Hall filled to its maximum capacity, despite a space increase of 30 percent over 1984.

Thus, this year's Nor-Fishing exhibition will be the biggest ever held.

Approximately 260 exhibitors from 15 countries will be showing the products and services of about 400 manufacturers from 20 countries.

The countries represented by exhibitors are Austria, Denmark, East Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United States, and West Germany.

It is expected that Norway's new Ministry of Fisheries, Bjarne Mork Eidem, will open the fair, which has been organized by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries/ Directorate of Fisheries, in cooperation with the Norwegian Trade Fair Foundation.

Through the years, Nor-Fishing has gained a reputation as one of the world's leading fishery fairs, with a pronounced international profile.

Among the exhibitors, there is a particularly large contingent from the Nordic countries; prominent among these is Denmark with a national joint stand for 16 exhibitors.

Nor-Fishing attracts expertise from every corner of the world; for the six days in August, it will be the hub of international fishery activities.

This applies particularly to the concurrent seminars, which in 1984 attracted delegates from 17 countries.

The principal themes for this year's seminars are biotechnology applied to the utilization of marine resources, and the potential for minced fish and fish meal. In 1984, Nor-Fishing was visited by nearly 23,000 fishery specialists from 40 countries.

High-Technology Equipment Over the years, the world fishery industry has learned to make full and efficient use of technological advances. This year, Nor-Fishing will introduce a wide range of new technology, particularly electronic innovations in the fields of weighing, reception systems, filleting and packaging, refrigeration, and deepfreezing.

Advanced navigation equipment, communications and warning systems, automated equipment for trawlers, and the world's biggest trawl door will be on view at the fair. New equipment for fish farming and lifesaving will also be exhibited.

The organizers have endeavored as far as possible to group exhibitors by products. For example, the whole of Hall E in the Nidaro complex is devoted to maritime electronics, and most exhibitors of engines, fish processing, and refrigeration have been grouped in Hall F. An extensive range of fishing gear and equipment will be on display, and the packaging, transport, and storage side are also represented. Other exhibitors include shipyards, boatbuilders, and manufacturers of deck equipment, cranes and fittings, accommodations, cleaning services, etc.

Topical Seminars As in previous years, the seminars will occupy two days, August 13-14, concurrent with the exhibition. This year the focus will be on processing technology, a topic that has been given much attention lately, involving both research and industrial aspects.

The seminar committee, headed by chairman Ole Johan Ostvedt, head of research at the Norwegian Fisheries Directorate Marine Research Institute, will again bring the world's foremost fishery expertise to Trondheim. Responsible for the seminars are the organizers of Nor- Fishing '86—the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries/Directorate of Fisheries, in cooperation with the Norwegian Trade Fair Foundation.

The first day of the seminar, Wednesday August 13, will be devoted to biotechnology, and will be chaired by Prof. Jan Raa of the University of Tromso. This session will discuss potentials and methods for the utilization of marine resources.

Research within biotechnology opens significant perspectives for the Norwegian fishing industry.

This applies particularly to the processing sector, which can lead to the rapid development of completely new fish products. Furthermore, valuable biochemicals aimed at entirely different markets other than the traditional ones can be obtained from fish—processes that may very well lead to a complete readjustment within the Norwegian processing industry.

The seminar will be opened by Prof. Viggo Mohr of the Institute for Biotechnology, Norwegian Institute of Technology in Trondheim.

He will be followed by research director Eirik Nestaas from the U.S., who will discuss the competitive situation and perspectives in relation to biochemicals obtained from marine raw materials.

Then Karl A. Almas of the Institute of Fishery Technology Research in Tromso will cover the production of biochemicals from fish and fish oil. Finally, biotechnology and the herring meal industry will be discussed by Dr. Agnar Mjelde and director Nils Urdahl, both of the Herring Oil and Herring Meal Industry Research Institute in Bergen.

The August 14 session will be chaired by secretary general Finn Bergesen Jr. of the Norwegian Fishermen's Association. The subject of the day will be product development and marketing of minced fish and fish meal. Increased costs and competition from other food and feed products have lead to increasingly stringent demands on the fishing industry for the more efficient use of fish. Research in fisheries technology on the development of new products from minced fish and fish meal is therefore given high priority.

The session will begin with di rector Ole Enger of Norsildmel in Bergen, who will focus on foodstuff opportunities for the fish meal and fish oil industry. Traditional products for minced fish will be covered by Jette Nielsen of the Danish Ministry of Fisheries Research Laboratory in Lyngby.

New surimi-based products from minced fish will be covered by Ragni Ofstad of the Institute of Fisheries Technology in Tromso. The last presentation of the day will be given by research director Johannes Opstvedt and researcher Eyolf Langmyhr of the Herring Oil and Herring Meal Industry's Research Institute in Bergen.

Both seminars will allow an hour's panel discussion at the end of each day. Due to the wide international attention given to the Nor-Fishing seminars, there will be simultaneous translation into English. During the previous seminars in 1984, 17 different nations were represented on the list of delegates. The organizers are estimating the number of delegates to be in the range of 300-400 this year.